Best Time to Visit Edinburgh

Sitting at 56 degrees north latitude (further north than Moscow or Copenhagen) beside the Firth of Forth, Edinburgh has cool, breezy weather year-round and dramatic swings in daylight: in June the northern sky barely gets fully dark until 23:00, whereas in December dusk settles over the Castle by 15:45. For the best mix of long days, green parks and reasonable hotel rates, come in May, June or September.

Late Spring and Early Summer (May and June) are often the sunniest, driest months of the year on the east coast of Scotland. Yellow gorse bushes bloom across the slopes of Arthur's Seat, cherry blossoms line the Meadows park, and nearly eighteen hours of daylight let you walk through Dean Village and Stockbridge at 21:00 in full light without the August crowds.

August (Festival Month) is unlike anything else in Europe. Five major overlapping festivals take over the city at once: the Edinburgh Festival Fringe (over 3,000 comedy, theatre and cabaret shows across hundreds of pop-up venues), the Edinburgh International Festival, the Royal Edinburgh Military Tattoo on the Castle Esplanade, the International Book Festival and the Art Festival. The atmosphere is electric, but the city's population doubles and hotel prices triple; if visiting in August, book rooms and Tattoo tickets six to nine months ahead.

Autumn (September and October) brings calm back to the Royal Mile, golden beech and sycamore leaves along the Water of Leith gorge and crisp hiking weather. On 31 October, the Samhuinn Fire Festival stages a neo-pagan torchlit procession celebrating the transition from summer to winter.

Winter (November to March) is cold, atmospheric and built for cosy pub fires and museum mornings. From mid-November to early January, East Princes Street Gardens hosts the Christmas market, culminating in the three-day Edinburgh's Hogmanay (New Year, 30 December to 1 January) torchlight procession, street party and Castle midnight fireworks. Pack windproof layers using our packing guide.